Reorganizing display of a railway timetable diagram

Abstract

A method and apparatus for reorganizing display of a railway timetable diagram. A method of reorganizing the display of a railway timetable diagram, including: generating a relational graph by using a multiple of stations in the railway timetable diagram and correlations between the stations; partitioning the relational graph according to a partition rule, where the partition rule reduces lines crossing in at least one page and/or section in at least one page in a reorganized railway timetable diagram, where the lines representing an association between respective stations along a path in the reorganized railway timetable diagram; and displaying a reorganized railway timetable diagram based on a result of the partitioning. An apparatus for reorganizing the display of a railway timetable diagram.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of reorganizing display of a railway timetable diagram, comprising:
 generating, using a hardware processor device, a relational graph by using a plurality of stations in the railway timetable diagram and correlations between the plurality of stations, a correlation between two stations existing when the two stations follow in succession along a path, wherein a path comprises at least one of a train leg and a locomotive path, and a different correlation value is used to represent a correlation strength between two successive stations along a train leg and along a locomotive path; 
 partitioning, using the hardware processor device, the relational graph according to a partition rule, said partitioning rule partitioning said relational graph into at least one block, and further partitioning said at least one block into at least one group, wherein a block corresponds to a page in a reorganized railway timetable diagram and a group corresponding to a section in said reorganized railway timetable diagram and sorting said at least one group in said at least one block, wherein the partition rule reduces lines crossing in at least one page, reduces lines crossing in a section in at least one page, or reduces lines crossing in both said at least one page and section in said at least one page in a reorganized railway timetable diagram, wherein the lines representing an association between respective stations along a path in the reorganized railway timetable diagram; and 
 displaying on an associated display device in communication with said hardware processor the reorganized railway timetable diagram based on a result of the partitioning. 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein generating a relational graph by using a plurality of stations in the railway timetable diagram and correlations between the plurality of stations further comprising:
 forming sub-graphs based on paths in the railway timetable diagram; and 
 consolidating the sub-graphs to form the relational graph. 
 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 2 , wherein forming the sub-graphs based on paths in the railway timetable diagram further comprising:
 constructing a first node and a second node in the relational graph by using a first station and a second station that are in succession along the path; and 
 using a correlation between the first station and the second station as a weight of an edge between the first node and the second node. 
 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising: determining the first station and the second station based on a railway network involved by the paths. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 2 , further comprising: assigning a higher value to correlation between two successive stations along a train leg; and assigning a lower value to correlation between two successive stations along a locomotive path. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein displaying a reorganized railway timetable diagram based on a result of partitioning further comprising:
 displaying as a result of the sorting, in at least one page, at least one section corresponding to at least one group in at least one block; and 
 displaying, in at least one section, stations corresponding to nodes in at least one group. 
 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the partition rule is a Spectral Graph Theory. 
     
     
       8. An apparatus for reorganizing display of a railway timetable diagram, the apparatus comprising:
 a memory storage device; 
 a hardware processor operatively connected to said memory device and configured to: 
 generate a relational graph by using a plurality of stations in the railway timetable diagram and correlations between the plurality of stations, a correlation between two stations existing when the two stations follow in succession along a path, wherein a path comprises at least one of a train leg and a locomotive path, and a different correlation value is used to represent a correlation strength between two successive stations along a train leg and along a locomotive path; 
 
       partition the relational graph according to a partition rule, said partition rule partitioning said relational graph into at least one block, and further partitioning said at least one block into at least one group, wherein a block corresponds to a page in a reorganized railway timetable diagram and a group corresponding to a section in said reorganized railway timetable diagram;
 sort said at least one group in said at least one block, wherein the partition rule reduces lines crossing at least one page, reduces lines crossing in a section in at least one page, or reduces lines crossing in both said at least one page and said at least one section in at least one page in a reorganized railway timetable diagram, wherein the lines represent associations between respective stations along a path in the reorganized railway timetable diagram; and 
 
       display on an associated display device in communication with said hardware processor a reorganized railway timetable diagram based on a result of the partitioning. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein to generate a relational graph, said hardware processor is further configured to:
 form sub-graphs based on paths in the railway timetable diagram; and 
 consolidate the sub-graphs to form the relational graph. 
 
     
     
       10. The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein to form sub-graphs, said hardware processor is further configured to:
 construct a first node and a second node in the relational graph by using a first station and a second station that follow in succession along the path; and
 use a correlation between the first station and the second station as a weight of an edge between the first node and the second node. 
 
 
     
     
       11. The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein to construct the first and second node, said hardware processor is further configured to:
 determine the first station and the second station based on a railway network involved by the paths. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein to generate a relational graph, said hardware processor is further configured to:
 assign a higher value to correlation between two successive stations along a train leg and assign a lower value to correlation between two successive stations along a locomotive path. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein to display, said hardware processor is further configured to:
 display, in at least one page, at least one section corresponding to at least one group in at least one block, according to a result of the sorting; and 
 display, in at least one section, stations corresponding to nodes in at least one group. 
 
     
     
       14. The apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the partition rule is a Spectral Graph Theory.